In honor of Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11, 2009, the Bureau of Reclamation's Central California Area Office will waive the day use fees at New Melones Lake for U.S. Veterans and members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. This small gesture is aimed at showing appreciation to the men and women of the U.S. Armed Services for their contributions, past and present.

Entrance and/or standard amenity fees are waived annually on Veterans Day on public recreation lands under the management of the Department of the Interior, including Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Reclamation. The U.S. Forest Service, under the Department of Agriculture, also participates. Expanded amenity fees, including boat launch, camping, and all other fees, however, still apply.

Please join us for a day of recreational enjoyment at New Melones Lake this Veterans Day. For more information about New Melones Lake, please call 209-536-9543 (TDD 800-877-8339), visit our website at http://www.usbr.gov/mp/ccao/newmelones/index.html, or stop by the New Melones Visitor Center and Museum, located at 6850 Studhorse Flat Road, Sonora, California. The Visitor Center is open Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.